Exetastes nigripes GRAVENHORST, 1829

Riedel, Matthias, 2023, The genus Exetastes GRAVENHORST in the West Palaearctic region, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Banchinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (2), pp. 641-692 : 664

Exetastes nigripes GRAVENHORST, 1829 (figs 19, 44, 84, 111, 125)

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀. Length 10-13 mm. Flagellum long and bristle-shaped, with 50- 54 flagellomeres; 1 st flagellomere 4.8× as long as wide and 0.5× as long as eye; preapical flagellomeres about square. Temple strongly and roundly narrowed behind eye. OED 1.7-2.0× ocellar diameter. Minimal facial width 0.7× eye length. Clypeus 1.8× as wide as long. MI 0.4. Mandible short. Hypostomal carina slightly elevated. Epomia distinct. Mesoscutum finely and densely punctate, smooth and shining between punctures. Scutellum not carinate. Propodeum punctate, sometimes with coarse rugae; spiracle slit-shaped; apical transversal carina distinct medially. Hind femur 5.5-6.0× as long as wide. Hind claws long, slightly bent apically, with short basal teeth. Areolet pointed or shortly stalked frontally, slightly oblique; ramellus various; vein 2m-cu in its middle; vein 1cu-a ± postfurcal. Metasoma smooth and shining. 1 st tergite 2.1-2.4× as long as wide, with sparse punctures laterally. 2 nd tergite about as long as wide. Ovipositor sheath 0.3× as long as hind tibia and 0.6× as long as 1 st tergite; ovipositor straight.

Color: black. Setae of mesosoma pale brownish. Clypeus sometimes reddish apically. Subtegular ridge rarely with yellow spot. 1 st tergite apically or mainly, 2 nd to 4 th tergite entirely and sometimes 5 th tergite laterally red. 2 nd to 5 th sternites red. Hypopygium and 6 th and 7 th tergites black. Legs usually mainly black; fore and mid legs ± reddish frontally; hind tibia sub-basally ± reddish; 3 rd and 4 th hind tarsomeres sometimes ± ivory.

Pterostigma ochreous, with darker margins. ♁. Length 10-13 mm. Flagellum with 50-54 flagellomeres; 1st flagellomere 4.6-6.1× as long as wide and 0.6-0.7× as long as eye. OED 1.7-2.0× ocellar diameter. Minimal facial width 0.8× eye length. Mesoscutum with rather dense punctures, shining. Hind femur 4.6-5.4× as long as wide. 1 st tergite 2.0× and 2 nd tergite 0.8× as long as wide.

Color: black. Clypeus often reddish. Sometimes base of mandible and/or facial orbits yellow or reddish. Often hind edge of pronotum and tegula yellow. 1 st tergite apically and 2 nd to 4 th tergites entirely red. Legs usually black; sometimes fore and mid coxae with yellow spots; fore and mid femora and tibiae ± reddish frontally, sometimes 2 nd to 4 th hind tarsomere paler. Pterostigma ochreous.

New host record: Sideridis (Heliophobus) reticulata (GOETZE, 1781) (Lep. Noctuidae ) (Edinburgh).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Transpalaearctic and Oriental.